A joint meeting of the NDA legislature party will be here held on Sunday where Nitish Kumar will be elected as its leader, it was decided on Friday.
The decision was taken at an “informal” meeting of leaders of the four NDA constituents in Bihar — the JD(U), BJP, HAM and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) at the residence of the Chief Minister.
“The meeting will start at 12:30 pm on Sunday, November 15 where all further decisions will be taken,” the Chief Minister who also heads the JD(U) told reporters later.
As decks were cleared for the formation of a new Government in Bihar with Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister, the JD(U) chief handing over to Governor Phagu Chauhan the resignation of his ministry and the recommendation to dissolve the State Assembly, officials said. The Governor accepted the resignation and asked Nitish to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister till the new NDA Government is sworn in.
“These formalities have to be completed before the formation of a new government. The cabinet’s recommendations will be forwarded to the governor whose approval will be followed by other steps leading to the formation of a new government,” Nitish said earlier.
Despite the BJP emerging as the largest party in the ruling alliance with 74 seats, 31 more than the JD(U), the top leadership of the saffron party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has emphatically endorsed Nitish as the next Chief Minister.
He was declared the ruling coalition’s CM candidate much before the election process had started. Though Nitish did not divulge more on what transpired during the meeting at his residence, sources said the issues discussed included the representation of each constituent in the cabinet and election of the Speaker.